Bird Basics and Your Backyard

Bird Unit Study - week 1

(This unit study is meant to be a general guide with ideas for grades K-5. I have left it up to you to decide how much to do and how to organize the various activities.)

Indigo Bunting and male Cardinal

Learning objectives:

• Be able to identify what distinguishes a bird from other animals
• Understand and explain the history of the Audubon society
• Use the scientific method to analyze, compare, collect data and determine favorite food choices of backyard birds
• Design and create a bird feeder
• Design and create a birdhouse using math principles 

Bible:

• Learn a hymn this week that talks about birds: "His Eye is On the Sparrow"
• Day 1- Review the days of creation and focus on day 5 (Creation of birds) and what does  "according to its kind" mean.
• Genesis 1:20-21 "Then God said, 'Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.' So God created... every winged bird according to its kind." (NKJV)

• Day 2 - Read object lesson "Bird" from Nature Corner vol. 2 A-23  (MyBibleFirst)
• Day 3 - Bible verse for study is Job 12:7 "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air and they will tell you." Discuss what it is that birds can teach us. Have each kid come up with an object lesson.
• Day 4 - Read object lesson "Bird" from Nature corner vol. 2 A-19

 Language Arts:

• Book options: (many of these can be found at your local library)
• Burgess Bird Book for Children  (preK-7)
• Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman (K-2)
• About Birds: A guide for children by Cathryn Sill (K-3)
• Robin at Hickory Street (Smithsonian's Backyard) by Dana Meachen Rau (K-3)
• The Boy Who Drew Birds by Jacqueline Davies and Melissa Sweet (K-5)
• Into the Woods: John James Audubon Lives His Dream by Robert Burleigh (1-8)
• Aubudon: Painter of Birds in the Wild Frontier by Jennifer Armstrong (2-5)
• John Audubon: Young Naturalist by Miriam Mason (3-7)
• What Makes a Bird a Bird by May Garelick (3-6)
• Look up! Bird Watching in your own Backyard by Annette LeBlanc Cate (3-7)
• Animal Records: Amazing Book of Bird Records by Samuel Woods (3+)
• Backyard Birds Field Guide 

• Start a nature journal (draw pictures, write down things learned, write down observations)
• Do research on one common backyard bird (ex. American Robin). Each day of the week learn something new and write it in the nature journal.
• All about Robins - learn about the Robin
• Day 1 - draw a picture of a chosen bird/find a picture in a magazine/color a printout. Label the identifying marks. Write down it's dimensions (how long/tall/wingspan). Listen to its song.
• Day 2 - find out what its favorite food is. Where does it like to live (habitat)? Draw its favorite habitat
• Day 3 - What kind of nest does it build (how high from the ground, what materials does it prefer to use, what tree/bush does it prefer, how big is the nest usually). How many eggs does it lay? How long does it take before they hatch? How long before the babies can fly away? 
• Day 4 - How does it typically behave (is it shy, nocturnal, loud...). What does it like to do? Does it migrate? find out some interesting facts and/or document your observations

• Check out these 13 Bird themed worksheets: bird worksheets

Vocabulary/Spelling/Handwriting:

•  Look up 5-10 words from the books currently being read for which the meaning is uncertain or unclear. Copy the words and write their definition. These can also become spelling words.
• Spelling options for older kids: do a short dictation at the beginning of the week. Any misspelled words become the spelling words for the week. 
• Copy the memory verse for the day in cursive handwriting
• Extensions: look up any words that are not understood. Write down any thoughts on the passage. Put the quote into your own words.

• Write down the following quote. Then, have the child rephrase it using their own words, write their thoughts about what is said. Do they agree or disagree? How does it make them feel? What do they think it means? 
• "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched."
• "A chattering bird builds no nest"
• "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"

• Special notebook paper for handwriting practice

Science:

• What makes an animal a bird: discuss bird characteristics (ex. feathers, wings, hollow bones, lay eggs, warm-blooded)
• what makes a bird a bird lesson plan  (3-7th grade)
• For the Birds (teaching unit for grades K-2) 
• Amazing Birds (elementary lesson plans) 
• Study bird opposites: 
• biggest wingspan is the albatross (12 ft) 
• heaviest bird is the Ostrich (300lbs)
• Smallest bird is the male bee hummingbird (2.75inches)
• fastest bird is the Peregrine falcon (242 mph)
• Slowest bird is the American Woodcock (5 mph)
• Fastest swimming bird is the Gentoo Penguin (40 km/hour)
• Longest bill is of the Austrian Pelican (13-18 inches long)
• Use the scientific method to design and carry out experiments to explore the food preferences of birds that visit your backyard. (Wild about birds activity)
• For discussion: do all birds eat the same thing? Have kids describe their own observations and experiences. Record their answers on a board or paper without labeling them as right or wrong. Explain that they are going to conduct an experiment to determine whether birds prefer some foods over others.
• One or more bird feeders are needed.
• Several types of bird food should be put out: black sunflower seeds, gray striped sunflower seeds, white millet, thistle seed, mixed wild bird food, cracked corn, fresh or dried fruit...
• Field guides and other resources for identifying birds
• journal to keep track
• Extension/variation: find out if certain birds prefer one feeder design over another; find out whether birds choose foods based on color (use nontoxic food coloring to color seeds you know birds will eat); find out whether birds eat more at different times of day.

History:

•  Learn about the history of the Audubon society (a society whose goal is to save birds and their habitats)
• read the book John Audubon: Young Naturalist by Miriam Mason 

Math:

• Counting is for the Birds by Frank Mazzola (counting up to 20 and rhymes)
• When doing the scientific study of what birds will eat, measure/weigh what is put at each feeding station. After 10/20/30 minute intervals (or at the end of the day as desired), weigh/measure each amount again and calculate the difference. For example: in the morning you set out 1 cup of sunflower seeds, at noon only 1/3 cup was left, how much did the birds eat? What percentage of the food was eaten/left? (you can do this by weight as well). Which bird food had the biggest difference? (ex. The birds ate 10% of the millet, 50% of the thistle seed and 70% of the sunflower seeds). What does that tell you about their food preferences? 
• this can be a lesson on subtraction, percentages, comparisons, greater/lesser

• Build a birdhouse (out of wood for the older kids; out of cardboard for the younger)
• Birdhouse activity
• Math (angles, finding perimeter, calculating area, surface area, faces/edges/volume) - math project
• Check out over 50 free bird house and bird feeder plans

 Art:

• Make a bird feeder:  homemade bird feeders
• Make a bird (materials: feathers of all colors and sizes, glue, paper, googly eyes, popsicle sticks). Stick bird craft
• Draw a bird step-by-step: how to draw birds
• Coloring book of birds: Birds of America Coloring book
• Color practice for toddlers: coloring activity

Cooking:

• Make bird food recipes:  winter bird food recipes
• Make pinecone bird feeders (need pinecones, yarn, peanut butter and birdseeds)

Miscellaneous activities:

• Set up a backyard bird feeding station. Discuss what attracts birds (food, different types of feeders, water, shelter)
• Join the Big Backyard Bird Count or Project Feeder Watch
• Watch some of the following movies
• Fishing for a Living
• The Insatiable Appetite 
• Secret Life of Birds DVD set (watch an excerpt)

Week 2 unit study - Bird Identification

Exploring a Creek ... and learning about classification

The other day I took a group of kids down to the creek to explore. With bug nets and plastic containers in hand, we excitedly made our way down the hill to the meandering creek. The goal of the outing was to find as many different critters as possible in or along the creek, so the anticipation was high. For a while, each child explored the creek in their own way, one excitedly running up the creek and hollering about finding fish, one slowly walking along looking intently into the water, whereas some found it more exhilarating to actually get in the water to explore. While several of the kids spent time trying to catch the elusive fish, others soon got discouraged about not being able to find any creatures. So came the teaching opportunity.

Crane fly larva

I had been exploring in my own way and had already found a crayfish and crane fly larva, which was really exciting. Seeing that I was having success in finding critters, the kids started gathering and asking how they too could find critters. I showed them how to look for differences in the creek bed (rocks covered with algae vs. rocks completely clean of algae all neatly piled up... sign of some creature's home entrance). I explained that many of the critters like to hide under the rocks and showed them how to carefully lift a rock to peer underneath. They learned that some creatures prefer the calmer waters and some prefer hiding in the vegetation along the creek.

Not sure which kind, but I believe it's a young salamander

The previously hurried and random explorations all of a sudden changed to purposeful explorations and they started finding various creatures. Now, when someone started stepping into the water, one of the other kids would say, "careful, you may be stepping on someone's home because there's animals living here." I was thrilled.


Once we had found about 7-8 different critters and insects, I gathered the kids around and talked about classification. First I had them try to explain what classification means, then I asked them to give me examples. With some guidance, we discussed how animals can be classified by their common characteristics such as feathers or fur; 4 legs or 2 legs; live births or hatching from eggs; warm-blooded or cold-blooded, etc. Once I felt like they had a general grasp of the concept, I asked them to come up with their own way of classifying the various critters we had just found. This forced them to observe the critters a little more closely. Finally, I pulled out a key to macro invertebrate life in the river that I had printed off and had them identify two of the creatures.

crayfish

An hour flew by and before they knew it, it was time to head home. We carefully put the creatures back in their various homes, made sure we didn't leave anything behind and slowly trekked back up the hill.The kids were wet and muddy, but thrilled by their discoveries.

 "The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery."

 ~Mark Van Doren

Environment-Based Education

Several years back I did research on Environment-based education and have been fascinated by the concept ever since. For those who are interested, here is the research paper I worked on (and yes, I know, the language is more formal and sounds like a research paper... that's because it is).

Environment-based Education

In a recent personal encounter with a fifth grade teacher, a more active approach to science learning was discussed. She explained that during one of her science units, she distributed a packet of fast growing seeds to small groups of students and instructed them how to plant each seed. As the weeks progressed, the students monitored the growth of their plants, keeping track of the changes in their journals. When the plants reached a certain height, they began experimenting with various light exposures, fertilizer types, amounts of watering, etc. Furthermore, the children were taught how to create a graph that characterized the results over time. At the end of the experiments, the students were asked to write a report on what they had found and learned. Throughout the process, the students used their developing skills in science, language arts, and math. They took ownership of their plants while discovering the elements that influence optimal plant growth. This experiential approach broadened an understanding that would have been limited by reading from the book only (personal communication, October 10, 2011).

            This is a small snapshot of what environment-based education is about. Julie Ernst and Martha Monroe (2006), university professors who have written widely about this novel form of education, state that, “environment-based education is a general term for describing formal instructional programs that adopt local environments as the context for a significant share of students’ educational experiences” (p. 432). Instruction can include in-door activities, as seen above, or can consist of taking students outdoors. The main objective is to use nature to help students learn in all subject areas, not just biology (Ernst & Monroe, 2006). Environment-based education’s “defining characteristics are interdisciplinary learning based on the local environment, project-and-issue-based learning experiences, learner-centered instruction, and constructivist approaches” (Ernst & Monroe, 2006, p. 432). The use of environment-based education should be included in our school systems because it helps students make real-life connections to what they are learning, improves attitudes toward learning, enhances academic achievement in all subject areas, and assists students in reconnecting to the Author of the Book of Nature.

                According to Singley and Anderson, leaders in the field of cognitive science, the concept of transfer is essential for effective education (as cited in Basile, 2000, p. 21). Basile (2000) goes on to explain that “transfer” allows students to apply their theoretical learning to practical contexts and situations. Integrating the environment into the classroom experience provides real-life issues and themes for what is being studied and can help students understand better the correlation between theory and reality (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998). Instead of just reading about how the Gulf Oil spill affects the environment for an English assignment, students can do controlled experiments in the classroom to see for themselves what happens to various habitats. Through experimentation, observation, analysis, and documentation, students learn to make the connection between what they are reading and the reality of what is happening (Hutchings & Ojalvo, 2010).

Students are more likely to be inspired and motivated to learn when they realize that what they are learning actually applies to their lives (North American Association for Environmental Education [NAAEE], 2001). Because they are more motivated, their attitudes toward learning improve as well. According to Edward H. Falco (2004), an environmental education consultant, students involved in programs that incorporate environment-based education are more inclined to think positively about their teachers and the subjects being taught, whether language arts or math. As they become more absorbed and captivated by what they are learning, they are also less likely to cause discipline issues, more likely to want to attend class on a regular basis, and tend to perform better academically (Falco, 2004; NAAEE, 2001), all of which teachers are constantly striving for.

A study conducted in forty schools suggested that academic achievement was significantly improved when environment-based education was integrated into their programs (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998). For example, 93% of the students surveyed in these schools had improved in their language arts skills, 92% improved in their math skills, 99% had a better “understanding of science content, concepts, processes, and principles,” and 95% had better grasp of what they learned in social studies (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998, p. 8). This shows that incorporating the environment into classroom learning can have an impact in all subject areas, not just the sciences.

The study also showed that enthusiasm for each subject area increased and students were better able to make connections to and apply what they were learning to real life situations (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998). Learning became relevant and interesting, and math, English, and science became tools that students could use to help them in their discoveries. The point was conveyed that because students were allowed to study topics that were relevant and interesting, they became more inclined to improve their skills of reading, writing, and public speaking (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998).

In addition to the above mentioned benefits, environment-based education can also be modified to reach the needs of a variety of learning styles, making success just as possible for hands-on learners as for the auditory or visual learners (NAAEE, 2001). Since each student comes into the classroom with different strengths, skills, backgrounds, and learning styles, it is important to incorporate methods of teaching that can reach such a variety of students. The environment can be used as a tool by teachers to inspire, motivate, intrigue, and lead students in their educational journey.

However, Christians have an added reason for incorporating the environment into their curriculum. The Spirit of Prophecy has much to say about the benefits of nature, from its healing qualities to its usefulness for instruction. We are told in the book Education that “the system of education instituted at the beginning of the world was to be a model for man” and that “the Garden of Eden was the schoolroom [and] nature was the lesson book…” (White, 1903, p. 20). Jesus Himself used nature to illustrate His teachings (White, 1999) and Christian educators should learn from the example of the Master Teacher. The book of nature can be used to provide examples that clarify concepts and to draw the students’ minds to spiritual truths. Nature is a “great lesson book, which instructors who are wise can use, in connection with the Scriptures, to guide lost sheep back to the fold of God” (White, 1897, p. 59).   

So, if environment-based education has so many positive benefits, what are some of the barriers that prevent it from being used more often in the educational system? According to research, one of the main barriers to using environment-based education is lack of training in how to incorporate it into the curriculum (Ernst, 2007). Many teachers have associated this type of teaching with science classes and are not aware of how it can be used in their math or English classrooms nor its potential for enhancing learning (Ernst, 2007). This lack of awareness is an additional barrier.

Another obstacle to using environment-based education is the scarcity of resources and textbooks that provide curriculum examples. Therefore, teachers who want to incorporate nature and project-based activities into the classroom have to spend much of their personal time researching, planning, and preparing lessons; time they often do not have and are not given (Ernst, 2007). Some additional reasons teachers mention for not integrating environment-based activities include:  “too much other material to cover”, “emphasis on state testing”, “lack of relevance to curriculum”, and “lack of funding” (Ernst, 2007, pp. 17, 24).

According to Julie Ernst (2007), one of the first steps to breaking down these barriers would be to provide more training for teachers on the benefits of environment-based education and how to incorporate it into their specific curriculums. This could be done at the college level for teachers-in-training, as well as having professional development classes for current teachers. Through such classes, teachers would learn about their local environment, become more comfortable in using it to teach, and develop the necessary skills to implement it into their curriculum (Ernst, 2007). The classes could also help teachers identify strategies for dealing with other perceived or real barriers (Ernst, 2009).

Although there are some obstacles to using environment-based education in the classroom, research has shown that it has many benefits. It can assist students in making correlations between what they are studying and real life, help them feel more positive about learning, bolster their academic achievement in all subject areas, and help them reconnect to the God who created nature. Providing training and creating awareness would encourage current and future teachers to more readily incorporate environment-based education into their classrooms. “An environment-based education movement – at all levels of education – will help students realize that school isn’t supposed to be a polite form of incarceration, but a portal to the wider world” (Louv, 2005, p. 222). 

References

Basile, C. (2000). Environmental education as a catalyst for transfer of learning in young children. Journal of Environmental Education , 32(1), 21-27. Retrieved from ERIC database. (EJ618815)

Ernst, J. (2007). Factors associated with K-12 teachers' use of environment-based education. Journal of                 Environmental Education , 38(3), 15-32. Retrieved from ERIC database. (EJ771682)

Ernst, J. (2009). Influences on US middle school teachers' use of environment-based education. Environmental Education Research , 15(1), 71-92. Retrieved from ERIC database. (EJ829999)

Ernst, J., & Monroe, M. (2006). The effects of environment-based education on students' critical thinking skills and disposition toward critical thinking. Environmental Education Research , 12(3-4), 429-443. Retrieved from ERIC database. (EJ744306)

Falco, E. H. (2004). Environment-based education: improving attitudes and academics for adolescents. Retrieved from State Education & Environment Roundtable website: http://www.seer.org/pages/research/Southcarolinafalco2004.pdf

Hutchings, C., & Ojalvo, H. (2010, May 5). Education: the learning network [Web log post]. Retrieved      from http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/the-drill-on-the-spill-learning-about-the-gulf-oil-leak-in-the-lab

Lieberman, G. A., & Hoody, L. L. (1998). Executive summary - closing the achievement gap: using the      environment as an integrating context for learning. Retrieved from State Education and Environment Roundtable website: http://www.seer.org/extras/execsum.pdf

Louv, R. (2005). Last child in the woods: saving our children from nature-deficit disorder . Chapel Hill, NC : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill .

North American Association for Environmental Education, R. A., & National Environmental Education       and Training Foundation, W. C. (2001, October ). Using environment-based education to advance learning skills and character development. Retrieved from National Environmental Education Foundation website: http://www.neefusa.org/pdf/EnviroEdReport.pdf

 White, E.G. (1897). God in nature. In Special Testimonies on Education (pp. 58-62). Retrieved from https://egwwritings.org 

White, E. G. (1903). The Eden school. In Education (pp. 20-22). Retrieved from    https://egwwritings.org

 

White, E. G. (1999.) August- the ministry of Christ. In Christ Triumphant (p. 225). Retrieved       from https://egwwritings.org